Process of heating liquids



July 14, 1925.

L. C. DREF-"AHL PROCESS OF HEATING LIQUIDS Filed Nov. 275, 3.923

GU 0: umpt O m .L

4 w a w J b Av 331/; fax/wzewi Patented July 14, 1925.

UNITED STATES LOUIS CHARLES naEraHL, or Lsxnwoon,

PATENT or.

310 ASSIGNOR TO TEE GRASSELLI CHEM- ICAL COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO. ACORPORATION C'E OHIO.

PROCESS OF HEATING LIQUIDS.

Application filed November 23, 1823. Serial No. 678,606.

residing at Lakewood, in the county of Giiyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of HeatingLiquids, of which the following 'is a specification.

This invention relates to a new process In for the direct application ofelectrically generated heat to liquids which are nonconductors or poqrconductors of electricity, and consists generally in contacting the l'uid to be heated with another liquid whic 6 is maintained at the desiredtemperature by the passage of electric current therethrough.

It has already been proposed to heat liquids which are conductors ofelectricity by 0 the passage of electric current therethrough and touse-the heat so generated for instance for distilling the liquid itselfor by transmission through the. walls of the liquid receptacle whichconstitute fixed heating surfaces to other bodies suchas the surroundingatmosphere or other liquids-to be heated. v we As distinguished fromsuch prior uses of heat generated by the assage of electric currentthrough a con noting liquid .and

fromrnethods of heating liquids in general by contact with fixed heatingsurfaces thepresent invention involves the heating of a liquid which isa non-conductor of electrici bydirect contact with another electricallyheated conducting liquid or resistor.

The process of course has numerous applications. It may be applied forinstance to numerous combinations of ii uid resistors and liquids to beheated an the heat. applied may be used for any desired purpose such asfor instance the distillation of-the liquid to be heated. The heat.generated in the liquid resistor may be applied to the liquid to beheated in a-yariety of ways, for instance, if the liquid to be heatedand the liquid iesistor are miscible or mutuallysoluble as are forinstance glycerinc and an aqueous solution of common salt they may bemixed together and electric .current passed through the mixture. Theconductive liquid selected as the resistor of course will depend uponthe nature of the liquid to be heated. Liquids must 'be 'selected whichwill not undesirably-react with each other and if the liquid to beheated is to be recovered in pure form its separation from the liquidresistor must be taken into consideration. Alcohol for example may bedistilled by mixing it with an ueou's solution of common salt andelectrically heating the mixturethe diflerenoe between the boilingpoints of the :alcohol and the aqueous solution of salt making possiblethe separation- Or one may select as the liq- .uld resistor a liquidwhich is not miscib with the liquid to be'heated. For instance a lightliquidsuch as ethyl ether or a light hydrocarbon such as petroleum ethermay be 'heated or distilled by floating it in a layer of the desiredthickness upon a bodyof electrically heated aqueous solution ofsalt or aheavy li uid such as carbon tetra-,- chloride may be eated by-anelectrically heated body of an aqueous solution of salt fioatinfon topof it or if desired the two mutu. ly. insoluble liquids, may beintimately mixed by agitation and heat supplied to the liquid to beheated by the assage of electric current through the mixture. The procemmay be employed not only Y for heating liquids or for distilling them byheating them to, boiling temperature, but

may also be used for steam distillations.-

For instance. if the liquid to be heated is 35' an aqueous liquid steammay be generated therefrom and serve for, the steam distillation of acomponent thereof or the steam required for the steam distillation maybe generated from an aqueous liquid employed v as the resistor.

The process of heating liquids. onaccount of the accurate temperaturecontrol which .it affords promises to be particularly .advantageous forthe heating of liquids employ'ed in chemical reactions in which accuratetemperature control v is necessary or desirable.- such as for instance,chlorination and sulfonation reactions and fusions.

Apparatus suitable for carrying out one procedure in accordance with myinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which thesingle figure is a sectional view of [the apparatus. The apparatusillustratcd is similar to that covered innn application filed May 2.).1922. in the names of Glenn A. Keep and Clayton M. H05, Serial No.564.512. v

The. apparatus consists of arectangular receptacle A made of anysuitable non conducting refractory. material such as glass, porcelain orearthenware, stone or the like. The receptacle is formed with the deepelectrode wells B, B, at its opposite ends into which the electrodes b,b, ormed of carbon or the like project through suit-' able openings inthe top. of the receptacle. C and- C" are an inlet and outletrespectively -for the liquid to be heated and .D and D are an inlet-andoutlet res tively for the liquid resistor. E is a con uit leading fromthe top of the receptacle to-a condenser F.

The-operation of the apparatus forthe distillation oi a liquid which isimmiscible with and .lighter than the liquid resistor employed is asfollows. The liquid resistor marked K is supplied to the receptacle-Athrough theinletl) to the desired depth and if'in the roce'x there is acontamination of the liqui resistorfresh liquid may be continuouslsupplied through the inlet 1) and impure 'qui withdrawn through the out-7 let D at relative rates calculated-to maintain the desired level ofthe liquid resistor in the receptacle A. The resistor K is heated b theusage of electric current theret rough tween the electrodes 12, b, therate of heating and the tem erature being ad'- justed by regulation of te depth of'the liquid resistorln the receptacle A and the volt- .agemaintained between the electrodes.- It w ll be noted that the deepelectrode wells B, B, provide at all times a large electrical contactarea between the electrodes and the resistor and thus permit the passageof arelatively large current density through the relatively smallcrosssectional area of resister over thebridge G between the electrode'well's where the principal heating 0t theresistor by the electriccurrent takes p ace. 1

The liquid to be distilled, marked S, is sup lied to the. receptacle Athrough the inlet and if it is to he simply heated or concentrated, andnot completely distilled, the

, heated li uid of the distillation residue 1s justed so that the etheris completely distilled, and the deposited solid impurities are carriedout of the receptacle ,A along with the discharged liquid resistor.

i It will be apparent without further illustratiom'that if the liquid tobe heated is heavier than the liquid resistor and immiscible therewith,the receptacle A may he simply turned upside down, and the electrodes b6 made to enter the electrode wells B B from above, and the conduit Eleading to the condenser connected to the then upper side of thereceptacle for carrying oil vaporized products. a

If, as is suggested above,the liquid resistor and the liquid to beheated are mutually insoluble, they may be mixedto ether by means. ofany suitable: agitating (fevice and electric current passed through themixture.

If the liquid resistor and the liquid to be heated are miscible, as forinstance alcohol or glycerine and an ueous salt solution,-

they may be mixed outside of th receptacle,

A, and supplied thereto through a single con duit, or the two separateliquids may be supplied as described above.

4 M process provides 'a very efiicient methv od or the application ofelectrically generated heat to non-conductive liq 'ds to be heated ordistilled, and although thxplrocess is somewhat limited in its a plicatiregard to the selection of liquid resistors with I compatiblewith theliquid to be heated, it

promises to be of-great value for the treatment of certain liquids, forinstance in cases in which the liquid to be treated is explosive,

or highly inflammable, thus rendering heatmg by means of fire dangerous,and in cases in which the liquid under treatment is highly corrosive,.orcarries impurities, or material which upon heating or distillation, .bcon.- '1

tact wit fixed heating surfaces wo d deposit solid-material upon suchfixed heating surfaces.

I claim:

1. Process of heatin a liquid which is a non-conductor of electricitywhich comprises contacting the same with a liquid heated by, the passageof an alternating electric current therethrough.

2. Process of heating a liquid which is a non conductor of electricitywhich comprises contacting the same with a liquid immiscible therewithand'heated by the passage of an alternating electric currenttherethrough. 3. Process of heating a liquid which is a non-conductor ofelectricity by contacting the same with an electrically heatedimmiscible liquid as defined in claim 2 in which the liquids arebompatihle and sepa-' rable. p 4. Process ofheating a liquid which is 5vnon-conductor of electricity'by contacting the same with an electricallyheated immiscible liquid as defined in claim 2 in which the liquids havedifferent specific I liquid immiscible therewith heated by the passageof an alternating electric current thcrcthrough.

3. Process of heating a liquid which is a Mummtm WWW non-conductor ofelectricity whi'chcom rises flowin the same and a second liqui immiscibe'therewith which is a conductor of electricity in contact witheachother, and passing an alternating electric current through .saidsecond liquid.

'7. Process of heating a liquid which is a non-conductor of electricitywhich comprises mixing the same with liquid which is a con-' ductor ofelectricity and passing an alternating electric current through themixture. 4 8. Process of heating a liquid which is a non-conductorof-electricity which comprises contacting the same with a liquid heatedby the passa e of electric current therethrough without e ectrolysis.

. 9. Process of heatin a liquid which is a non-conductor of electricitywhich comprises contacting the same with a liquid immiscible thercwithand heated by the passage of electric current therethrough withoutelectrol- Process of heating a liquid which is a is 10 fi'ogi'onductorof electricity by'contactlng the same with an electrically heatedimmiscible liquid as defined in claim 9 in which theliquids arecompatibleand separable.

11. Process of heating a liquid which is a non-conductor of electricityby contacting the same with an electrically heated immiscible liquid asdefined in claim 9 in which, the li uids have different specificgravities.

12. recess of heating a liquid which is a non-conductor of electricitywhich comprises flowing the same in contact with another liquidimmiscible therewith heated by the N passage of electric current withoutelectrol sis..

13. Process 0 heating a liquid which is a non-conductor ofelectricitywhich com rises flowing the same and a second liqui imtherethroughmisciblc therewith which is a conductor of electricity in contact witheach other, and passing electric current through said second liquidwithout electrolysis.

14. Process of heating a li uid which is a non-conductor of electricityw ich comprises mixing the same with 11 uid which is a conductor ofelectricity an passing electric current throughlthe mixture withoutelectrolysis;

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature,

noms CHARLES DREFAHL.

